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Ecuador Facts - General Information for Ecuador Travel and Tours

Slightly smaller than Nevada, Ecuador gets its name from its position along the Equator. The country is bordered by Peru to the south, Colombia to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The Galápagos Islands, 600 miles west of the mainland, are also Ecuadorian territory. This volcanic archipelago is home to many species found nowhere else on earth and remains much as it was millions of years ago. Together, the islands make up just one of Ecuador's four regions that also include the 1,390 mile-long Pacific coastal region; the Andean mountains that run north to south and includes the capital city of Quito; and the lush Amazon jungle. The second smallest of South America's countries, Ecuador is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. English is spoken in all major cities.

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Ecuador at a glance

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Ecuador
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE: Democracy
PRESIDENT: Rafael Correa (2009)
Alianza PAIS Party (Proud and Sovereign Fatherland Alliance)
Second term; former minister of economy and finance; PhD in economics, University of Illinois.
POPULATION: 13.5 million
CAPITAL: Quito
Population 1.4 million
OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES (ranked by population): Guayaquil
Cuenca
Machala
Portoviejo
ETHNICITY: Mestizo 65%
Amerindian 25%
European descent 7%
African descent 3%
LANGUAGES: Spanish
Quechua
Quichua
Other Amerindian languages are also spoken
LITERACY: 91.0%
LIFE EXPECTANCY: Men 65
Women 69
RELIGION: Roman Catholic 95%
Other including other Christian denominations 5%
AREA: 110,000 square miles
PROTECTED AREAS: National parks 10
National reserves 14
National recreational area 1
National forests 1
NATIONAL BIRD: Andean Condor
NATIONAL FLOWER: Rose
MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Petroleum
Textiles
Tourism
Shrimp
Fish
MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS: Bananas
Coffee
Cocoa
Rice
Roses
HOLIDAYS: January 1 New Year's Day
March-April Good Friday
May 1 Labor Day
May 24 Battle of Pichincha
August 10 Ecuador's Independence Day
October 9 Guayaquil's Independence Day
November 2 Day of the Dead
November 3 Cuenca's Independence Day
December 6 Founding of Quito
December 24 Christmas
CUISINE: Ecuador is known for the variety of its native cuisine, its seafood including white sea bass and trout as well as its ceviche and seafood dishes cooked in coconut milk. Soups are very popular, especially its caldo de gallina of chicken and chupe de pescado, a fish and vegetable soup. Other specialties include llapingacho, a pancake of mashed potatoes and cheese, and seco, a stew served with rice. Roasted meats commonly seen in the markets are cuy or roasted guinea pig and lechon or sucking pig. Among its fruits are several different plantains and bananas. International cuisine is also served at restaurants throughout the country.
CURRENCY: US dollar (USD) and Ecuadorian Sucre coins
TIME ZONE: Same as US Eastern Standard Time, no daylight savings; Galapagos is one hour behind mainland Ecuador.
INTERNATIONAL DIALING CODE: 593
ELECTRICITY: 110V, 60 Hz